Butterfly Bones
by Lily of Chastity
Summary: Taking place after Kaname's human awakening, he meets Ai and Ren Kuran. "Kaname, you can... come home..."
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE; Blatant Reality

Based off of VK Tokubetsu

Do not be fooled by the wings of the butterfly, for they are only a disguise. Underneath them, you may revolt in what your eyes have witnessed. It proves every beautiful thing is truly ugly. All that one might want is sincerely the opposite. One could not fathom the harsh reality that perhaps may one day come when they gaze upon what they'd thought was a beautiful thing. Disgust would overwhelm them, along with bits of incomprehensible agony, soon to be followed by misery.

There are always two halves that make up a whole. When the whole is brought together, something important happens. It fuses together and becomes one entirely, completely different thing. A metamphoresis into something new, and undiscovered, and never experienced.

Beauty on the outside is one thing; beauty on the inside is another. How many people, animals, creatures in general; are beautiful on the outside. There are plenty. But, how many actually feel beautiful, is another question. Along with this statement, beauty is defined as many things. Perhaps the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or pattern, or something else. A beautiful woman, or man, or child even. People often see it as a way of power. Something that has a gorgeous appeal will very well be able to take advantage no one looks down upon them. Ugly. It's something else.

Very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance. Disagreeable; unpleasant; objectionable: ugly tricks; ugly discords. Morally revolting: ugly crime. Threatening trouble or danger: ugly symptoms. Most often it is only looked at as an appearance, the word people most use when looking at a person with repulsive features that don't quite appeal to them in particular. A standard that they have set, and the one they're judging has been 'rightfully' judged in a just term, sentenced to always be referred to as 'ugly'. The judges in this specific term fail to realize that their judgment is an even worse form of ugly.

But these are the unfortunate ways of mankind. They've deemed themselves worthy of the title of miniature gods, and roam as they please, making calls they believe is right, rejoicing in their fleshly riches and pleasures, the beautiful ones, and ignore the large amount of the ugliest, who have fallen into deep pits of regret and despair. They starve, and are casted out from society, because of their incapability to reach the bar level standard. Its way too far for them to reach, which forces them to forever remain in the misery, that has embraced their fates ever since the beginning.

Of course, only humans give themselves the rights to live because they are some mystical race, or something far more glorious than any other. They over look the others, believing, though the other species could at any moment do something about this, that they are the ultimate's. They've recently reached their limits. We ourselves could not understand what a human thought since we've never been one. They wouldn't get it. They destroy, and force others to suffer on their own behalf, just because it brings them to a higher point. If an innocent by stander's life was what it took what it took to reach point B, then by all means, the pathetic foolish humans would be sure to do everything in their power to conquer the life of that person.

Another way to put the terminology of the beauty and ugly is the Humans and the Vampires. Indeed, a vampire has far more power than some mere human, but there are much more humans than vampires, and they easily over powered the vampires because of this. It made them dominate the world, and forced the ugliest to soon be considered out casts, and later on, something else. Humans caused the mess the societies of the world are in at the current time. The wretched humans are butterflies.

And there it was, the extreme remnants of what used to be a familiar world full of duties, angst, greed, fear, confusion, and the harsh reality of time and loneliness. What was existence if this is how time poured itself out. It seemed skewed, but it shouldn't be that shocking after existing for what seems as if not even time couldn't count. In this philosophy, life and existence really didn't make any sense. There was no memory of anyone who'd lived. They are all gone, all forgotten. Their time here in this world has completely faded away. But this was what the dormant nature and memories thought of the new creature that met with the sunlight for what was as if the first time. Dear god, it was so beautiful. It was full of vegetation, the surrounding area. Ruins of a building passage way, ivy covering its bricks that held cracks from weathering and tear over its ancient lifetime. The all too familiarity this newly opened-eye'd ancient creature would have known all too well. He didn't know what he was missing. He opened his eyes, and this is life. Nothing to hold him back now. No past to traumatise and haunt him, to hideous dark nature to drive his most inner workings, and no obligations of power. Humanity was pretty simple when put like this. There was no one there to even draw in a familiar shadow from the curtain fallen memories he woulldn't be able to pick back up and recall. There truly, was nothing.

There were two figures watching a few steps away in the shadows of the broken-ness of the building. One was taller, a male, with both silver eyes and hair. He wore a simple jacket. Next to him was a female with brown red eyes and thick, brown hair. She was small, and wore a pea coat in the colour of white. They both seemed distilled, yet intrigued. The female began speaking, "My mother left you a message… 'The one who I love, you who existed with that thirst, may it be quenched',". As he heard these words, he continued glaring at the sky, admiring how beautiful it was. Somehow it was instinctive of him to prepare to shield them from the rays, though it wasn't necessary. He pushed himself off of the place he lay, and opened up the broken doors, as the figurettes followed him out. She began chiming a story, that fed his ears as he admired his surrounds.

"...Anyway, Aidou-San worked around the clock, going over the documents, organising a research team... They finally found a way that vampires can live as humans. Basically a new version of the spell my mother cast. During that time, you slept in that ice coffin for a thousand years. You then lost all your memories and woke up as a simple human". She took a breath. It was as if she were confused. "Uhm, are you listening to me"? The boy like man suggested, "It might be useless, mother did say that he doesn't listen to other people". Indicating they shared the same parent, they looked almost nothing alike, but they both held exquisite poise, composure, and exposition.

"My other father said so too. I know that his memories should be sealed with his vampire genes... but I think knowing nothing wouldn't necessarily mean he's happier. Or rather, if he didn't know what happened during these thousand years of passing. I don't want that, brother..." She coughed. Her light voice gave out a raspy sigh. She and her brother stood nearer the man who woke up who was laying in the grass as the light poured down on him. They got closer, and closer, until they were taken aback by his sudden grab, pulling them into an embrace. He began speaking, the first words heard of him in almost ten centuries. "Tell me more about what happened during these thousand years..."

They stayed there for a moment. To them, it seemed so comforting to be in this stranger's arms. It was warm.

They followed him around a bit as he explored the ruins. "..After several years… no...after the period of entering deep sleep, a lot more time passed.. finally". She gestured to her side, "This is my henchman. He's called Ren". The man repeats the name, Ren. After a moment, the man lets out laughter he fails to surpress. "You've already gotten used to smiling"! The sister chimes. The one identified as Ren says, "She is called Ai". He nods. The man looks around. "The vegetation here are still quit few that there is almost no trees around that are fully grown", he comments.

Ai explains that before, there was a small scale war that happened in the location. The man asks if the work of war reparations has already been done dealt with. Ai confirms it is already done. Ren says, "About that. Could it be that he is recalling something"? "Why would you ask"? "Mother had said that she would bear grandmother Juuri's memories, and that is why". Ai calls out to Ren and exclaims, "No! We promised mother not to talk about that! Kaname is to not know this"! The man keeps a poker face. "Even if I doesn't really understand, this person whom they call 'mother' already..doesn't exist". "Right", Ren says as he is still around. Ai tells the man, "Kaname, mother is within your body". Looking slightly glum, Kaname says, "Yeah..." There is a memory that is still distinctly retained in the heart. Even if I don't know when this thing is, that feeling.. *figure of Kaname holding a scythe* as soon as this war's reparation work is finished, I'll go into a long term deep sleep. In this case.. at this rate, perhaps, *image of Yuuki in her uniform* I can once again see that illusion of that young girl whom I met at the battlefield".

The siblings both are a bit confused. They knew their mother Yuuki used to frequent this place to the maximum extreme staring at this creature. She waited out both Zero's death and Hanabusa Aidou's research before letting her chances of seeing Kaname Kuran alive again go. In every way, she lived pretty much for that chance. She basically turned herself into Kaname so she would be surrounded by him. Her personality became a bit hostile, and she rarely showed her inner heart to anyone that didn't bear Kuran's name. It was hard to watch and grow up with for Ai specifically. She came immediately after the occurrence of the ice coffin, and grew with the people who served this man, and then her mother. Yuuki's presence became more authoritive after her extreme heartbreak, which in return prompted Kaname's followers to respect her more, and in turn she became their new Kuran master. She kept with his ideals, and carried out what it was Kaname aimed for.

In the long run, she just wanted that one person. Her family made her happy, but she was never fully satisfied. "I'll never forget", Ren begun, "How she looked when they put that furnace out. How she swiped that pulsing heart up". "'What didn't make sense was that, it pulsed ten centuries in a furnace, but couldn't pulse in it's rightful home". The angst that came with this existence, Ai thought as she stared at the one her mother stared at. Ten years influenced her entire existence to still. It was unfathomable. It was intriguing nonetheless to watch what her mother had fixated on for so long to be what she wanted.

"Kaname, you can… come home..."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: Prerequisites

"Kaname, you can... come home..."

What does that mean? Why do I remember what gestures to use, what stand ins for communication and language for understanding, logic and opinions, right from wrong… why do I remember the abilities to function in a society developed, but I don't really remember what this is all about? She explained to me that their mother is inside of me? These odd visions that lightly show themselves, it's confusing. All these thoughts belong to him. "You called me Kaname. That's my name", he said, lightly giving another smile. Ai and Ren both gave a warm smile in return and a gust of wind blew through the ruin.

"It's your chance to live again, Kaname", Ren said. His voice communicated only positivity and hope. Ai still showed hope, but sadness at the same time. She glanced at Ren with bitterness. "It'll be a bit difficult without mother", she winced, being sure Kaname could not hear her words. He was still in a light lit world of his own, he didn't need to waste their mother's life by being reminded of who he had been immediately. "In a sense, I wish she wouldn't have done this". Ren placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a moral of support. "We may have lost our parents, Ai, but we have gained another". His hopeful voice brought a smile to her face.

Holding her hand out to Kaname, who for all they knew, didn't know what to do from this point on. Ai wanted to give him a guided idea of what to do. Technically, the dark vampire world didn't really exist anymore. The hunter society still existed for the most part, but thanks to Hanabusa Aidou, no more murder of either species would happen. Ai was extremely sheltered from the reality of what her identity had been in the early years of her life, regardless of her parents' majour roles in both the hierarchy of the vampire world and the fact Zero was eventually the leader of the hunters, right under Kaien Cross.

Yuuki Kuran never really explained what to expect or do for Kaname after he lived yet again. Perhaps it was just because she was filled with the sadness of not being able to be with this person regardless of how long it'd been. Since Ai had initially fed off of her mother, she received fragments of memories that only caused more bitterness. It caused her to stop eating her altogether, and instead chose her brother, or Zero.

As the moments ticked on, even Ren began letting reality sink in. They were pretty much alone. Life has a set course, of course. Technically only the purest of blooded vampires didn't die, so he had a clock that ticked, too. Just because Kaname had been put to sleep in a sense, his clock began ticking too?

The world they lived in was no post apocalyptic place. It had been built up, technologies discovered, and crumbled over many times. But when you look at it, it really never lost its aura. The buildings looked the same, new or old, and jobs were carried out pretty much the same way. Since Ai was the queen of the family now, she knew she'd be making the most of the choices. She was once a bold, hyper girl, but grew into a more level headed, calm natured woman. Ren was always mellow. He'd always done what he'd been told, and never got into trouble. That's why Ai never had much interest in him. The thing they had in common was they didn't grow up in an extremely happy environment. Yuuki wasn't happy, and Zero wasn't either because of that.

She let out a sigh as she had decided to bring Kaname home with her. She was going to be cautious because the house, no matter how old it was, was almost the same when he'd seen it last. There were still old servants Kaname might recognise. But there would be no Yuuki, or Zero, or Yuri, or Senri, Rido, none of the original hunters, no Hakura or Juuri…

The reality was, Ruka, Kain, Rima, Senri, Takuma, they were all a lot older. They didn't look the same. They lost much of their youth. Of course, noble vampires still lived an extremely long time, much like Takuma's grandfather, well surpassing fourthousand years.

With all these thoughts, Ai was certain bringing Kaname to her home to reteach him life, was going to be alright with delicate guidance. It was his home, after all.

Time had passed. It'd been what, thirty minutes? As Kaname rediscovered life. Ren nodded as Ai explained to him what she'd decided. She'd watch over him, let him make his own choices, and not be hand held by vampires like his past. It was the least she could do for her mother.

"Kaname".

He looked at her from where he stood.

"...Yes".

"Kaname, come home. With me". Ai, who had a grasp on Ren already, awaited Kaname, who smiled, and grabbed her open arm. She smiled back. A light vision of the girl on the battlefield smiling appeared in the back of his mind as he went.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: Recollections.

They had taken the bullet train from the local village to their home location, and it lasted a long time. Kaname knew this particular experience, but couldn't gain the proper memory to place.

Ai gently sat with Ren, who'd kept his arm on her shoulder, his hair tickling her forehead as the speeding lines of either side of the windows blurred by.

"I think it'd be best to keep Kaname hidden for a little while. The ancients will know who he is..." In hush tones, Ai conveyed to Ren what was on her mind as she lightly toyed with a strand of her hair. It was still foreign, unsunken, and incomprehensible, the idea her mother was gone.

This person whom she'd spent years staring at behind ice was alive. This person she'd always been told was her father. They always said she had his eyes. It still didn't seem real. Somewhat like a dream.

"Ai, be careful. I don't have the ability to always follow you", Ren scolded as he unbottoned the top of his jacket collar in discomfort.

"I don't even know what I plan to do…" She sighed. She looked up at Kaname, who had picked up a paper from one of the seats, reading it. He was occupied, it wasn't like he was a child. This was her father!

Ai made up her mind. Her mother, who was her whole world outside of Ren and Zero, wanted this person to live a beautiful life. A quote she said all to often was, "to smile from the bottom of your heart", seemed pretty fitting in this situation. She wanted to do that for Kaname. She was going to do that by the assistance of the other noble vampires that had known Kaname many a year ago.

The train bullet went through and finally stopped to their destination.

"Kaname! Please, would you kindly follow us", Ren asked. Kaname smiled, bewildered at his even newer surroundings. The town was quaint. It wasn't too robust. Their were little shops around, not much traffic, or people for that matter. Vampires walked certain ways, humans others. This is what peace and serenity looked like. It only brought smiles to Kaname's beautiful lips.

They'd had a vehicle waiting for them, an older looking model in an off grey. A gentlelady held open the door for them as Red lead the way into the seat. Ai gestured Kaname sit next to Ren. She really wanted to look at this man.

Kaname did not come off dumbfounded by what was familiar yet extremely known to him. He wasn't sure how to process what was familiar to him, but he kept his composure the entire time. Ai was staring at him as his eyes met with hers.

She flinched because she wasn't exactly expecting it, but she was. She brushed it off with a smile and laugh, and proceeded, "Kaname! Do you like food? Or books? I'm interested in what I can offer you, if anything".

He kept a poker face. The things she told him earlier were floating at the top of his head like ice cubes in a soft drink. It didn't really make any sense, but he took it as he did.

"I'm fond of history", he smiled in reply. The car engine started, and the driver began to get them closer to their destination. Her brother folded his hands together as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"Oooo-uh..! Kaname, history-er.. History isn't exciting anymore. Trust me", Ai stuttered. She truly didn't want Kaname to be reminded of anything of what he was or was related to.

"Hm", he mumbled, bringing his hand to his chin. His face now displaced a perplexed confusion.

Ren's eyes narrowed at Ai. This wasn't going to be an easy task to help Kaname. Perhaps they should have left him. He let out a cough, signaling to Ai to shut up. She blushed and slapped her face.

The drive was quite most the way there from there on out. Since Kaname had brought along the paper he'd found from the train, he was reading it instead of letting the silence be impolite and awkward.

Gazing and skimming through the lines, he read the word, "VAMPIRE". "VAMPIRE". "VAMPIRE".

"Vampires. That's right, you were talking about vampires earlier"? Kaname asked.

"Yes, I did", answered Ai.

"You said your mother performed a procedure on me that new sciences developed beyond that of her old fashioned ways"?

"Yes".

"Well, you said she was inside me. What did you mean by that"?

"She's in your heart, Kaname-sama", Ai said with an agonising expression. She fought back the tears of pain. She didn't exactly tell Kaname he was their father. She'd simply said he was their other father… kinda?

"What was her name, Ai"? Kaname coldy requested this.

"Yuuki", Ren answered in Ai's stead.

"Yuuki", Kaname repeated. He said it a few times. It's like he enjoyed the sounds his voice created when putting her name together.

"Stop the car"! Ai demanded. It came to a sudden halt, only for Ai to rush out.

"Ren, please help Kaname when you arrive home. I'll be there soon. I will just", She didn't even finish, merely slamming the door without further fear of destroying everything.

Ai really didn't have anything. She'd tried being in a loving relationship with her brother, but it didn't work out.

Zero passed away, and her mother sacrificed herself to bring this man back. Perhaps not to bring him back as human, but simply to bring him back.

Grandmother Juuri had done the same for her mother, but it only lasted so long, it seemed like even that was a waste.

She brushed herself to the side of the road as the car began back down the road. Kaname stared back at her as they continued forward.

She rested herself against the nearest tree and gasped a bit. What was even her existence all about? Would she end up like that too? What was she living for?

It was a bitter thought. She wasn't sure what was going through her brain.

She needed her mother, who was practically her sister in age, but always showed wiseness when it was needed.

Other than that, her mother really was a ditzy clutz who sometimes came off as stupid. When she wasn't trying hard to hide herself in Kaname's guise, who was she?

Her mom, her best friend, always there for her. She had nothing to worry about with her mom there. Though her mom had her amazing moments, Ai could tell she was never fully there.

She recalled many conversations she'd had with her mom about Kaname.

It was the only time she lightened up when she was sad. Though after that she'd get even darker.

Sadness must be a trait of the Kuran. No, a curse we must bare, she thought.

She trampled away down the path. She was going to gather Kaname's old servants who were much older than he was.

She was going to try to find a way to bring back the happiness the Kurans once were. She was scared. It could be a dark path, or an unsightly path. Kaname, she thought, I'll do my best to bring you happiness. "Father, you gave me the chance to live, so now I'll try to do the same for mother and you".

She was going to search for a way to revive the dead. Even if it meant she died for it.

The bitterness in the back of her throat intensified as the thought of what could happen.

From the distance, unbeknownst to Ai, something was watching her. And it had stirred for a moment like this, for a long time.


End file.
